The quintessential RTS game.

The gameplay also is fun but can be a little cumbersome trying to remember all hotkeys. All in all the game is exceptionally fun and well worth playing.

Folks looking for a classic gaming excursion with a new, polish façade will find much enjoyment in this finely crafted point-and-click adventure.

Simply put, there is no reason to buy this game when there are two other superior basketball games on the Xbox.

To put it bluntly, I needed to force myself to play this piece of unpolished drivel. First, the control has the most atrocious interface I have ever had the displeasure to witness.

A larger and spicier serving of GTA3 with some minor, though beneficial, trimmings.

Only the most hardcore gamers will be able to look past the occasionally monotonous gameplay and poor audio and visuals to enjoy Shenmue II.

While it appears to be ridiculous, I found it to be the most entertaining game I have played in a long while.

Graphics were great and were perhaps the best aspect of the title, all except for those arthritis-like frame-rates.

I have played a lot of flight simulation games; this one definitively gives you more control over the fate of the world than any I have played before.

While not all of the gameplay is captivating, I honestly enjoyed the battle mode as much as I enjoy multiplayer "Bust-A-Move," and that is a high compliment indeed.

The revamped gameplay manages to stay fresh, but is still able to keep that special something that made the original game so engrossing.

It's tedious, frustrating, poorly designed, lacks any sort of graphical flair, and is all but guaranteed to induce boredom within the first ten minutes, never mind the approximately two hours it takes to finish the game.

It is the best RPG experience you can find on Xbox to date (sorry "Morrowind," you were impressive, but you were just not that much fun).

It’s very strong on concept and not so strong on the actual gameplay.

The graphics are only average and the gameplay is plagued by a couple of nasty control issues.

It’s not easy to learn and it looks about as pretty as a doggy chew toy. If you’re a sim freak, you’ll love it.

The graphics are superb, the gameplay is fun and the overall package is amazing.

The sophisticated AI and epic gun battles keeps the gameplay exciting even though there are a few poor level designs.

Fighting games need deep, balanced gameplay to rise to the top, but X-Men: Next Dimension is severely hampered by shallow, unbalanced fighting action.

By far the wildest and craziest party game to hit a console system and is a must have replacement title for players who like "Crash Bandicoot," "Super Smash Brothers" or "Fuzion Frenzy" style games.

Gameplay is solid, fun, and addictive. On the other hand, graphics-though they are fresh-could have been better.

Because of this control scheme, moving your sub is a constant frustration, as positioning your sub is very hard, and precise movements are damn near impossible.

This generation of gamers may overlook this gem in the rough due to its rather hideous outward appearance. Sure this game is repetitive, but it serves as a great distraction and provides some downright wholesome fun.

It took me about ten hours to play all the way through this game, and if I had not been fighting the controls and camera, I would have finished in half the time.

A masterpiece within its time.

The environments are full of life.

The game’s mediocre gameplay is accentuated by a lack of variety. Simplicity is essential for puzzle gameplay, yet TTA takes simplicity to the point of monotony.

The controls and gameplay are as poorly designed as the graphics and audio.

The good news is that Blinx has a lot of potential to become a quality game series, and future games can be great if those areas needing improvement are addressed.

An entertaining, sidesplitting funny game in spite of some significant technical issues. The horrid camera needs constant adjustment, and enemy targeting is spotty.

Enriching the gameplay experience significantly, the audio design stands out among the best this year. Sound effects garnish every movement and action, equally emphasizing visual and audio stimulation.

The seductive power of its plot is relatively weak and you may find yourself too overwhelmed by the absurdity of the gameplay to even care what develops in the story, but this title does in fact have a plot.

A variety of paths for each mission promises near infinite replayability.

With outdated graphics that showcase choppy animations and low-resolution textures, and below average audio, plagued by horrible voice acting, the game’s presentation fails.

Game of the year material. It’s rare these days to play a game that excels in every area-but this one does so.

While not perfect by any means, there's enough fun in Bombing Run and Double Domination alone to make this one worth picking up for some multiplayer fun.

There weren’t any killer mistakes, but all the little details like the unnatural character animations and the poor control setup start to add up.

The graphics are quite goods, as are the maps, with lots of little places to work around and use for cover. For the snipers out there, you will be pleased.

The game also finds a nice balance in navigating your Robotech jets, and aiming the guns that they possess.

The game play is exciting and difficult at times but all in all it is an astounding chance to take on the role of a Veritech fighter pilot.

Represents everything good about gaming. Hands down, the best platform game of 2002.

Only stifled by its lack of variety, Rayman Arena features well-designed and engaging gameplay.

A graphically eye catching title offering multiple game choices and services to use in the development of your perfect casino, but looking past this glitter and technical stability is a title offering no long term gameplay or challenge even to novice fans of the genre.

Adds a whole new dimension to The SIMS world that I felt it was dearly missing.

The lack of text chat capabilities and a workable inventory system prevent Tribes from greatness.

The game's gorgeous graphical presentation makes for a pleasant experience that eases the moments when excessively polished design bogs gameplay down.

The extra additions of the grooves and super combos was also a stroke of genius, and now that I look at this tiny little disc, I have to ask myself, “How did they fit it all in there?”

If you could somehow combine watching paint dry and reading a choose- your-own-adventure novel, you'd have Myst III.

With the exception of new culture specific powers that are only available in multiplayer gaming, there is nothing in EEAC that enhances the gameplay experience or adds to what is available from the core Empire Earth game.

The whole game concept is worn and exhausted, the graphics are shallow, the gameplay is repetitive, and the sounds are poor.

I was amazed at the strength of the gameplay. With the tremendous online abilities and the multiple options for each player, the game has great depth.

Such a well-crafted, polished (aside from the camera), and entertaining experience that it managed to win over this jaded gaming cynic, inevitable merchandising tie-ins and all.

The courses are well laid out and challenging at the higher levels, but they are no different than a normal oval pavement track offering players nothing to see but the other opponents' vehicles.

Although not graphically superior, KSPS holds the essence of surfing in solid gameplay, authenticity, and depth.

It offered fair and fun gameplay and easy controls that were simple to maneuver...For a non-sports game fan, I was delighted to play a sports game and like it.

The game ultimately fails due to flawed and shallow gameplay.

For fans of the genre, Animal Crossing can best be explained as a mix between "Harvest Moon" and "The Sims," and it's just so damn fun.

Replay value of Scream Arena is low due to its repetitive, yet enjoyable, gameplay.

Not only does it add some realism to the genre but actually has some good economic development in it for those of you business types. Oh yeah and don’t forget the scantily clad vacationers.

Its attention to detail and wealth of customization options counter minor physics engine draws and interface issues.

There are some bugs in the gameplay that really need attention. The final strike against it is caused by the fact that the crowd of people playing this game online is one of the worst online communities I’ve ever been a part of.

The game was fun and if you enjoy "Ally McBeal" and "The Sims" then this game will be right up your alley.

A good single player building game that, although has improvements, lacks long-term gameplay abilities.

The dynamics of the game aren't bad, though they are certainly light on the pitching and heavy on the bat.

No soul, no panache, no cool. The extremely repetitive gameplay and poor controls, along with mediocre graphics and a sub-par plot make this title a strong candidate for the bargain bin (or maybe even the round file).

Beyond some pesky micromanagement at times, Earth & Beyond is a well thought out and executed MMPOG in the voids of space, offering a compelling and expanding storyline set far into the future where you can actually explore the galaxy that we only dream of exploring today.

Were it not for the lack of Xbox Live support, the somewhat tedious pace of the Career mode..., Sega GT would be nothing less than a "Gran Turismo" killer.

Suffers from drab graphics, boring and simplistic level design, repetitiveness, underwhelming sound effects, and poor enemy AI.

Overall, the game puzzles are too easy, which makes the game boring at times.

It's biggest strength is its tutorial and teaching ability. The sheer knowledge of chess that can be gained by moving through the tutorials or by simply playing against the computer is amazing.

I think the key to the success of this game is that it brings a great look and story that ports very nicely to the Game Boy Advance.

The graphics and sound are the details that got left out of this one.

Onimusha 2 avoids the mistake made by the previous title in placing difficult puzzles, often under a time limit, at awkward points in the game.

It has 150 famous matches for you to watch, so you can learn from the world’s best games of all time, and progress towards your goal of becoming one of the world’s chess masters.

I really enjoyed the missions, and even though they could be tough, the movie-like atmosphere makes for a truly compelling gaming experience.

A very good game...Though, one simple fact remains constant. The engine is truly showing its age.

The new story mode is nothing too serious, although I did have some gripes with the new style of level design, but the new multiplayer modes and upgrades will have anyone coming back for more.

Graphical scalability and an intuitive interface are heavily outweighed by poor graphics and sound, uninspired gameplay, and a lack of scientific information about the dinosaurs you are exploiting.

The concept is interesting, if somewhat strange, but the slow, difficult, gameplay and poor graphics make the fun come screeching to a halt.

NFL2K3 has everything a football gamer could want. It has great graphics easy and intuitive controls, and the gameplay is extremely fun.

I called "Shogun" the closest thing I had seen to a perfect game, well Medieval: Total War improves on that achievement and delivers one of, if not the best strategy gaming out there.

The game looks nice, plays nice and is a blast if you can stand getting through the first few missions.

Could have been great, but has to settle for being good because of the annoying camera issues and the graphics shortcomings.

Moonbase Commander will stand out as the sleeper hit of 2002 and it deserves all the praise I am sure it will get.

Offering no new gameplay styles, limited map enhancements, and unorthodox NPC AI, Aliens vs Predator 2: Primal Hunt seems to be just that, a primal update to an excellent storyline driven series.

While its gameplay is neither perfect nor original, it is still fun to play nonetheless.

More beautiful than the game’s musical bliss however, is the controls.

If half the effort was spent on improving gameplay as was exerted in acquiring licensed products, then the game would have been much better. Sadly, this is not the case.

The gameplay is as deep and as tight as previous games in this genre, but the gameplay is so perfectionist that the game is just not that much fun to play.

Solid graphics and lovely character animations.

Underachieves in all aspects of game design. The level design and gameplay are boring, unimaginative, and repetitive.

In [Shrapnel Games'] 5 reasons to own Space HoRSE: They don’t make games like this anymore...Thank god! This one makes me want to go back to my Vextrex.

One major flaw in the game’s level design, is how not one of the levels seems to have anything to do with the movie.

Very well executed.

The gameplay is addictive the sound is upbeat and the graphics are fun and goofy.

Although I have no gripe with the stable of boxers included here, I think the game would have been a lot more enjoyable if other equally despised personalities were licensed for the game. Just imagine the possible matches, Tyson versus O.J. Simpson, Hussein versus John Rocker, Bin Laden versus Enron board members. That would be fun no matter how bad the game sucked.

Only good for kids who are good enough at games to overcome the game’s difficulty level.